


Day 2- Collars

by broken_fannibal



Series: Whumptober 2020 [2]
Category: Broadchurch, Good Omens Extended Universe, Underworld (Movies)
Genre: (referring to Underworld), Alec Hardy Whump, Angst, Bisexual Alec Hardy, Bisexual Lucian (Underworld), Blood, Canon-Typical Violence, Collars, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Hugs, Kidnapping, Loss of Trust, M/M, Original Character Death(s), POV Alternating, Whumptober, Whumptober 2020, electroshock, semi-happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:54:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26780218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/broken_fannibal/pseuds/broken_fannibal
Summary: Alec and Lucian get kidnapped and put in a cell, a collar on each of them. Their situation awakens painful memories for Lucian.
Relationships: Alec Hardy/Lucian (Underworld)
Series: Whumptober 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1949557
Comments: 15
Kudos: 22
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Day 2- Collars

**Author's Note:**

> I had the idea for this in late march this year, it's been in my wips ever since then... and now thanks to whumptober it's finally seeing the light of day!
> 
> also... this ended up waaaay longer than I thought. just like the previous fic xD

When Alec came to, he squinted and took in his surroundings. He was in a cell, Lucian lay on the ground next to him. He was still unconscious but luckily didn't look hurt. Faint light fell through a small window in the concrete wall to his left. Slowly, he sat.

“Hi."

Alec jumped, his head whipped around. In the adjoining cell behind him, were at least 15 other people. The woman who had spoken sat on the ground. She held a hand out to him, it just fit through the bars.

Hesitatingly, he took it.

She smiled reassuringly. “I’m Lena.”

“Alec Hardy.” He shifted and sat up a little straighter. He heard a faint clink and felt a pressure against his neck. He reached up and ran his hands over it. Then he looked back at Lena with wide eyes.

“I know." She put on a sympathetic smile. "Every new arrival wears one at first. Don't pull at the collar, don't try to get it off.”

Unease spread in his gut. “Why? What happens if I do.”

“You’ll get shocked.”

He closed his eyes and sighed, trying to remain somewhat calm. He barely managed. “What is this? Why are we here?” His heart started hammering against his ribcage.

“We don't know.” She solemly shook her head. “They’re not telling us anything. They lock us in here, no one ever gets taken away. But every few days some new people arrive. And going by the other cells-” she nodded at the empty cells on the other side of the one Alec was in. “I’m guessing there will be a lot more.”

He nodded, taking in all the information, trying to make sense of it. He touched his pockets. His pants, then his jacket. They had taken his phone and wallet. Of course, they had…

“Oh, look! He's waking up too.” Lena pointed at Lucian.

Alec turned around and crawled towards Lucian as far as the chain attached to his collar would allow. He touched his shoulder. “Lucian?”

Lucian squinted and looked around.

All signs of fatigue and confusion were gone from one moment to the next. He sat abruptly, his posture tense as he looked around. His eyes skipped over the room as if taking in every detail as quickly as possible.

Alec watched him. He couldn't help but feel the tension rub off on him. Seeing Lucian this restless when he was usually so calm and composed made it even worse.

Lucian moved to get up and go to their cell door. But something held him back, tightening around his throat. His eyes went wide. With shaking hands he reached up to touch his neck. His eyes flicked to Alec, he was wearing a collar too.

Panic began to bubble up in his chest. The collar felt like it tightened around his throat, like the weight of it on his shoulders doubled. It felt like it would choke him any second as all the memories associated with wearing a collar caught up to him.

And the last time he had been locked in a cell, he and Sonja had awaited their judgement, their execution. He had also been a prisoner then, awaiting an unknown fate. Exactly as he was now.

He gripped the collar and pulled at it. It was just metal, wasn't it? He should be able to tear it off.

“Lucian, no!” Alec shuffled closer and touched Lucian arm, trying to get him to let go.

But Lucian seemed to ignore him. He clenched his teeth and pulled at the collar with both hands.

“Stop, you’ll electrocute yourself!” Alec shouted. But it was like Lucian couldn't hear him.

His eyes were squeezed shut and he kept pulling at the collar.

And then it happened.

Alec didn't realise until Lucian screamed.

He had barely recovered when they heard steps outside the cells.

Three men had arrived. They regarded Lucian. The way he sat on the ground, still hunched over in pain.

One of them unlocked the door and came inside, the other two followed and closed it behind themselves.

The first one stepped closer and pulled Lucian to his knees by the collar. “That should teach you, hm? You’re not getting out of here.” He gave a disgusting, cocksure grin.

Lucian stared up into the man’s eyes. His jaw clenched. He fought against the haze of the pain.

“So don't try to be brave. Just play along. Comply and we won't have a problem.” But he saw the spark of defiance in Lucian’s eyes. So with a look at the other man in the cell, he added: “If you don't, we will need to hurt your friend.” He made a dramatic pause. “And you don't want that, do you?”

Lucian’s head whipped around and he looked at Alec.

Alec sat there, leaning against the concrete wall, the collar around his neck, keeping him chained to the wall, looking worried and scared.

He felt rage burn in his chest. He couldn't let him get hurt. He wouldn't let someone he loved suffer ever again. Sonja had paid the ultimate price. He couldn't allow them to hurt Alec. He wouldn't. His hands formed fists by his sides, his jaw clenched.

Their captors might just hurt them anyway, even if they complied, no matter what they promised now. That was how it went. Never trust anything someone who keeps you in a cage says.

This right now might be his best shot at getting out. Once their captors were outside the cell again, he wouldn't be able to reach them. He wouldn't be able to get the keys. There was a chain to the man's belt, it led to an irregular bump in his pocket. Those had to be the keys. Now or never.

He looked up at the man holding him up by the collar and snarled. He clasped his hand over their captor’s and began to rip at the collar. The metal began to break.

A few seconds later the next shock came. This time, he was ready. It still made him cry out in pain. But the man collapsed, his body hit the ground like dead weight. He was either unconscious or in too much pain to move. Either way, a suitable outcome.

He ripped the collar off the rest of the way just in time to fight off the two others who were now closing in on him. One aimed for his head, intending to knock him back.

But Lucian sent him crashing into the wall where he fell to the ground. The other tipped back after a well-placed punch and fell against the bars before landing on the ground in a heap.

He pulled at the chain from the first man's belt. There they were. He ripped the thin chain in two, grabbed the keys and tossed them to Alec. “Unlock your collar, then pass them around.”

He had no time to say more. The door flew open. More of their captors stormed inside. And they were armed.

Lucian cursed quietly and tried to think of the best way to keep Alec safe. Their shots would be focused on him but there was no guarantee a stray bullet couldn't hit him.

He launched himself forward, landed a punch, knocked a weapon out of one man’s hand. He dodged, avoiding a fist aimed at his face. He tossed the man who had attacked him to the side.

A bullet was fired. It grazed his arm. He growled and threw himself at the next one. A bullet hit his shoulder. He landed another punch. Took a hit to the solar plexus and stumbled backwards a few steps.

Clearly, he wasn't getting anywhere like this.

His senses heightened. His strength increased. The pain faded. He could feel himself starting to change.

The first man who had come into the cell came back to himself and stood on wobbly legs.

Lucian grabbed him and broke his neck before tossing him at the group in front of him. He bared his teeth at them. Some looked a little scared. Others hid behind their guns, ready to fire.

But they wouldn't be able to hurt him. Not with their ordinary bullets. The problem was they would be able to hurt Alec. He either needed to finish this fight quickly or take it outside their cell. If he could scare the majority of them into running…

Now fully shifted, he snarled at them and took slow steps forward. Most ran. Good.

A few remained and stood their ground. He jumped them. Ripped off an arm. Crushed a head. Tore open a neck. They had barely had the time to fire their weapons. He chased the others. Jumping them as they ran. They were no match for him, they couldn't hold him captive. No one could.

He ran through the hallway towards the other voices. A small group, five of them. He had killed two before the others had even readied their guns. They fired at him but he barely felt it.

When he had dealt with the last of them, he ran back to the cells. He shifted back to his human form in the doorway and briefly looked at Alec.

Thankfully, he wasn't hurt. Relief washed over him. But he did look scared… He really couldn't blame him.

He would get the others out, then he would have enough time to talk to Alec.

“There’s no one else of them-” he motioned at the dead people on the ground as he walked towards the cells. “out there. We can leave. There’s a room off the corridor where they put your belongings.”

Silence.

They all stared at him.

“Who has the keys?” he asked.

The crowd parted and a man stepped forward. With a shaking hand, he handed them to Lucian through the bars.

He grabbed them, unlocked the door and opened it.

But they stayed in the cell. They even moved back a little. It was clear they were scared. Scared of him.

He waited a moment longer, looking at them in expectation. But when no one made a move, he sighed. Let them leave whenever they feel like it, he couldn't care. Right now, he needed to check on Alec.

Once he was in the cell with Alec, with his back to the door, the others start to move. He heard their stumbling steps in the background. But his sole focus was Alec.

He still sat on the floor, looking pale and shaky.

“Are you okay?” He simply had to ask. Even though he didn't look hurt, he needed to make sure.

He nodded. After a while, he mumbled: “That was scary. What you did.”

Lucian kneeled down in front of Alec, trying to make himself appear less threatening. “I know. I'm sorry.” After a while, he held out his hand. “Come on, it's safe to leave now.”

Alec looked at his hand for a short moment. Then he looked away again and got up without taking it. When he was standing he still didn't look at him.

He swallowed hard. He had worried it might be like this. “Are you scared of me?”

Alec drew a shaky breath and shoved his hands in his pockets, his eyes still fixed on the ground. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn't.”

He saw shudder run through Alec, heard his heartbeat speed up. So he kept his voice soft. “That’s understandable. You have every right to be scared.”

Silence spread between them. He expected Alec to say something, or to move, to start walking and lead the way out. But he didn't.

After several minutes, he asked: “Are you going to stay like this?” He gestured in Lucian's direction without looking up.

He cocked his head. “What do you mean?”

“Naked and covered in- in blood.” Another shudder ran through him, he shoved his hands into his pockets again.

Lucian blinked and looked down at himself. “Oh.” Fresh blood glistened on his chest, some had run down all the way to his belly, a little was still oozing from the bullet wounds. His feet and hands were red too. As must be his face.

“You didn't realise?” Alec asked incredulously.

He hadn't… “Not really. Is that why they were so scared?” He slowly started to feel calmer. The adrenaline wore off, his heartbeat slowed, Alec was safe. He could think more clearly again.

“Part of it at least. You also transformed into a monster and killed all those people. I'm glad we're free now but… it was terrifying."

Lucian sighed. Alec wouldn't understand, would he? He hadn't seen the same things, he hadn't experienced the same things. By his feet, he spotted the remains of the clothes he had been wearing. He grabbed a shred of his shirt and the water bowl from the next cell and started wiping his face clean. He poured some of the water over his neck and chest and then cleaned his feet. He took a deep breath. The cool water cleared his head. "Will you let me explain when we're home?" he asked quietly. Then all of a sudden, something occurred to him. He stilled and looked over at Alec. “If I’m still welcome in your home that is.”

Alec looked perplexed. Then his brow furrowed, he seemed to think about it.

Nervously, he waited for an answer.

"You are."

He smiled a little and sighed in relief. "Thank you."

A confused expression flicked over Alec's features.

Lucian cocked his head. What was he thinking about?

Alec shrugged and shook his head.

"Alec? Please say it."

He inhaled shakily. "Why wouldn't you be welcome?"

“You saw me ‘transform into a monster’ as you phrased it," he said slowly. "You saw me kill at least a dozen people. You're clearly scared, yet you still trust me enough to let me come home with you.”

Alec nervously licked his lips. “I want to believe that-” his voice died. He still couldn't shake the memory of seeing Lucian rip one of the men’s throats out and then tossing him to the side, still gurgling. “I want to believe you did it because you had a reason to. I want to believe that you wouldn't hurt innocent people.” His voice was quiet.

Lucian hated hearing him like this, so unsure, so scared. He had never wanted Alec to feel this way because of him. And now he wasn't sure what it was Alec needed to hear. “I wouldn't." Not anymore. "I haven't killed anyone in nearly a century.”

Slowly, Alec nodded, some of the tension faded from his shoulders. Then he frowned. "A century?" He blinked. "You… how old are you?"

“Old,” he said quietly.

“200 years?”

He shook his head. “Older.”

“300 years?” Alec asked, disbelief clear in his voice.

“No." Lucian sighed. "I don't know the exact number. Cataloguing the exact date, the exact year wasn't that important in the circumstances under which I was born. More than 700 but less 900. That's all I know.”

Now Alec stared at him with wide eyes, speechless.

“I know this is a lot. A lot of new things you now know about me.” He slowly reached out to take Alec’s hand, giving him enough time to pull back. “Why don't we go home? We can talk about everything there, alright?”

Slowly, Alec nodded. “You should probably put some clothes on,” he said weakly.

Lucian squeezed his hand. “You’re right.” He knew Alec would need time to think about this, to come to terms with it and start considering what this meant for them.

He turned to the dead bodies of their captors. Their clothes would do for now.

When he was fully dressed, he looked back at Alec. “Let's go.”

Alec nodded again and wordlessly followed him out.

  
  


When they arrived at Alec's cottage, the first thing Lucian did was take a shower. He made sure there was no blood on him anymore. Nothing in his hair, under his nails or between his teeth. He washed himself twice to make sure the scent of blood was gone too.

When he came back out, Alec sat on the couch, a cup of tea in his hands, staring blankly ahead.

Quietly, Lucian sat down next to him. He noticed the second cup on the table, it stood at the other end of the small table so it had to be for him. It made him happy that despite what had happened, Alec had still thought to make tea for him as well. He picked up the cup and took a tentative sip.

Many minutes passed in silence.

Then finally, Alec spoke: "How does it work? That you can… transform?"

Lucian set the cup down. "I was born like this. I can shift at will."

"Any time?"

"Yes."

"You could right now?" There was a slight tremor in his voice.

"Yes."

Alec swallowed hard, his hands started shaking a little. The thought was terrifying… "Am I safe?"

Lucian's heart clenched painfully. _Am I safe from you?_ That was what it meant. "Of course. Alec, I would never hurt you." It didn't seem to be enough. "One of the reasons I did what I did today was to protect you. I couldn't stand the thought of them hurting you. I didn't know why they took us, why they kept us all there, what they would do to us. To you."

Slowly, Alec turned his head and looked at him. "Okay." He was quiet for a while. "What were the other reasons you did it?"

He took a deep breath. He didn't want to think about it, he didn't want to have to remember. "Long ago, I was forced to wear a collar. When I came to, I was taken right back to that time. And a while later…" He swallowed. "There was a woman I loved. Her father found out about us, he didn't approve. He locked us in adjoining cells, and then he brought us before the council. They decided we were to be executed." He paused to compose himself. "She died while I was tied up, I saw her die right in front of me, I was powerless. I couldn't save her. That is something I never want to live through again." He looked at Alec.

Alec's expression softened a little, he understood now why Lucian's reaction had been so extreme. "I'm so sorry." He fidgeted with his cup. "That's why you killed them? Because you were scared something similar would happen to me?"

"That's why I had to get us out of there. Killing them was a means to an end. I couldn't sit around and wait to find out what they had planned to do to us."

Alec nodded. It sounded so ruthless… killing people as a means to an end… He was torn from his thoughts by Lucian's voice: "Are you still scared of me?"

He took a deep breath. "A little," he admitted.

"I will give you as much time, as much space as you need." He longed to touch Alec, to hold him, to feel him close. But he needed to let Alec set the pace. As difficult as it was.

For the rest of the day they mostly went separate ways.

Every now and then Lucian subtly checked on Alec. To see how he was doing, if he was alright. He simply had to.

That night they watched the news together, each sitting opposite ends of the couch.

“The police found a bunker where the missing people must have been held captive. None of the believed perpetrators were found alive. They appear to have been mauled by a large animal. It may have been kept in one of the cells and escaped. The police cannot confirm the whereabouts of this animal but urge locals not to panic. It is unclear how the captives escaped. None of them have come forward with any information. We will keep you up to date with any new information as the investigation goes on.”

When the next report started, Alec muted it. He looked over. “Do you think they’ll find out?”

He shrugged. “I doubt it.”

Alec nervously shifted the remote in his hands. “Has no one ever found out? Even just by accident?”

Lucian hesitated. “We kept to ourselves for a long time. Hiding from the vampires was necessary for our survival. And if vampires weren't supposed to find us, humans were even less likely to. But yes, occasionally a human found out about us.”

“What did you do then?” He hoped his fear didn't show in the tone of his voice.

He looked over at Alec, he could tell he was scared. “We turned some. Gave them the choice.” He took a deep breath, hoping it wasn't a huge mistake to tell the truth. “But we killed most. Food was often scarce anyway.”

Alec felt his heart hammering against his ribcage. Fear crawled up his spine. He fought the instinct to get as far away from Lucian as possible.

Lucian watched Alec where he was frozen in place. He was even trembling a little. His heart was beating so quickly.

“Alec?” he asked softly.

Alec looked at him, his eyes wide.

“I said I will never hurt you. I mean it.”

Alec nodded slowly. After a minute of silence in which he gathered his courage, he got up and walked over to him where he sat at the other end of the couch. Then he sat down in his lap.

Lucian tensed. He kept his hands to himself, unsure what to do or what Alec was planning.

“Say it again,” Alec said quietly.

“Say what again?” Lucian cocked his head.

“What you said just now.”

“I will never hurt you.”

Alec took a deep breath, he looked into Lucian’s eyes. He was telling the truth, he could see it. He took Lucian's hands in his own. The hands that had been covered in blood, the blood of people he had killed. The hands that had broken necks and ripped bodies apart. He settled those hands on his waist. They were warm and heavy. He leaned a little closer, dragged one hand up until it came to rest at the side of his neck. His heart hammered against his ribcage.

But then Lucian moved his thumb and slowly, so gently, caressed his neck.

He shuddered, goosebumps broke out all over his arms. It was soothing in a way. Tension and fear still filled him but Lucian touching him this way felt safe.

Slowly, slow enough for Alec to stop him or pull back, Lucian leaned in and planted a kiss on his neck. “I love you.” He whispered against the skin.

Alec inhaled shakily. He gently pushed at Lucian and leaned back a little. “I’m still scared-” His voice hitched. “I’m still scared when you’re so close. With your hands or your mouth.”

His heart clenched painfully. “I understand.” He slowly slid his hand back to Alec’s waist. It was a slightly less vulnerable spot. In Alec's mind at least, he hoped. He knew that it wouldn't take too much to dig his fingers in and tear into his flesh. The thought sent an unpleasant shiver down his spine. Humans were so fragile, Alec was so fragile…

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed it please consider leaving kudos/comments! <3


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